New sleep study led by UofL links reduced sleep to air pollution, heat

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Air pollution, a warm bedroom, noise and high levels of carbon dioxide negatively impact a person's sleep, according to a new study led by researchers from University of Louisville and University of Pennsylvania.

The study published in Sleep Health is one of the first that measures multiple environmental variables in the bedroom and analyze their association with sleep efficiency, according to a news release. The study tracked the sleep of 62 participants for two weeks with activity monitors and sleep logs.

Bedrooms with high levels of air pollution, carbon dioxide, noise and temperature were all linked independently to lower sleep efficiency. Dr. Aruni Bhatnagar leads University of Louisville's Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute.

"This could be as simple as leaving a bedroom door open to lower carbon dioxide levels, and using triple-pane windows to reduce noise," Bhatnagar said in a news release. "We also applied for (future) funding that will allow us to investigate whether planting trees can improve sleep and cardiovascular health through improving health behaviors and the bedroom environment."

According to a news release, sleep deprivation is linked to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, depression and dementia.